Road charging could be set to spread
London's mayor Boris Johnson is looking to push through far-reaching road charging proposals as part of his new Transport Strategy, and the capital's motorists only have until 12 January to get their views heard.
The road pricing proposals are buried in a 354-page public consultation document called the Mayor's Transport Strategy, which covers a multitude of sins including the Crossrail plans, strategies for cutting C02 and general improvements in public transport.
But a section of the document, buried on page 252 and entitled Wider application of road user charging to manage demand, reveals the extent of the Mayor's plans to introduce road pricing on a much wider scale.
"Given the success of the central London Congestion Charging scheme and the London LEZ in meeting their principal goals" says the document, "the Mayor may explore the application of road user charging in other circumstances where it can be appropriately tailored to local conditions and suitably implemented."
Among the proposals considered in the document are miniature C-Charge zones in metropolitan town centres, tolls for river crossings and potential charging schemes covering the whole of Greater London.
Boris knows it's a controversial subject, too. Although the document suggests that "Road user charging can be highly effective in altering travel patterns and can be tailored to support sustainable transport objectives" it admits that "it is clearly a contentious policy as the rejection of proposed schemes in Edinburgh and Manchester and the response to the Mayor's informal consultation on the Western Extension make clear."
The document has been available to the public since October, but many feel that it has been under-publicised. This includes the Association of British Drivers (ABD).
"The MTS is seeking approval for the extension of the discredited Congestion Charge to other areas, and even drops a hint about it becoming London-wide" says ABD London Media Spokesman, Brian Mooney. "The consultation leaflet has been anything but impartial, leading readers towards agreeing with a loaded statement supporting 'fair road pricing'.
"The leaflet makes no attempt at any objective discussion on what might or might not be fair. Nor does it remind the reader that drivers already pay five times over for their emissions and the paltry investment in roads. There is nothing fair about adding to this burden and pricing people off the road."
If you live or work in London you still have time to make your views heard, though. Send your views to him via e-mail, and/or complete an online form by 12 January to get yourself heard.